LyondellBasell to start work on Germany butadiene expansion mid-'12

HOUSTON (ICIS)--LyondellBasell will start work on its planned 40% butadiene expansion at Wesseling near ?xml:namespace>Cologne, Germany, in mid-2012, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

Following completion of the work in mid-2013, the plant’s butadiene capacity will be 238,000 tonnes/year, LyondellBasell spokesman David Harpole told ICIS. He would not comment on the project’s expected costs.

Also at Wesseling, LyondellBasell will permanently close down two older polypropylene (PP) units. The closure has been scheduled for mid-2012, Harpole said.

Harpole added that the two projects – butadiene expansion and PP closure - are not linked. “Each is a separate business decision,” he said.

According to information on LyondellBasell’s website, the PP closure affects a total capacity of 90,000 tonnes/year.